Shedunnit

There’s an art to bringing classic crime tropes into the 21st century. Many thanks to my guest, Maureen Johnson. Check out the latest installment in her Stevie Bell mystery series, The Velvet Knife. Learn more about her books on her website at maureenjohnsonbooks.com. Books mentioned in this episode:— Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper...

Why has Agatha Christie’s spinster sleuth endured? This episode was recorded live at the 2026 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, Devon. Alongside Caroline on the panel was Professor Michelle Kazmer from Florida State University and the historian Rachel Trethewey, with the journalist Sarah Ransome in the chair. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra She...

Katie Lumsden joins Caroline to examine the swan song of A.J. Raffles. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 13:03. After that, expect full spoilers. Learn more about Katie Lumsden, her novels and YouTube channel, at Katie's website, www.katielumsden.co.uk. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The...

Where does the tradition of younger women solving crimes begin? Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books and stories mentioned in this episode:— The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green— "Problem One: The Golden Slipper" by Anna Katharine Gr...

Caroline rereads Christianna Brand's 1944 crime novel, Green for Danger. Join my live event at the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay on Saturday, 19th September. Tickets are available at iacf-uk.org. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/...

Let’s meet Agatha Christie’s strangest creation. Join my live event at the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay on Saturday, 19th September. Tickets are available at iacf-uk.org. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in...

Beyond the famous novels, there’s a whole world to discover. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitshow.com/join. Sign up to the podcast's newsletter to stay in touch between episodes: shedunnitshow.com/newsletter If you'd like to hear Caroline speaking at greater le...

On science-driven crime fiction in the 1920s and the 2020s. Many thanks to my guest, Kathy Reichs. The paperback of Evil Bones is published on 30th July in the UK. You can find out more about Kathy and her work at her website, kathyreichs.com. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and commu...

Why did Agatha Christie set her murders in villages? Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books & sources mentioned in this episode:— "God Made the Country" by William Cowper— The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie— The Moving Fin...

Why is this murder from 1910 still so fascinating to us? Many thanks to my guest, Hallie Rubenhold. The paperback of Story of a Murder is published on 2nd July in the UK. You can find out more about Hallie and her work, including her previous bestseller about Jack the Ripper's victims, The Five, at her website hallierubenhold.com. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extr...

There's a reason why Agatha Christie knew so much about poisons. This archive episode of Shedunnit was first published on 1st April 2020. Books and sources:—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie—A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup—"In a Dispensary" by Agatha Christie from the collection The Road of Dreams—Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Morgan—An A...

Ronaldo Fagarazzi joins Caroline for a 1920s serial killer mystery. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 21:21. After that, expect full spoilers. Read more about John Rhode at Ronaldo's blog, witnesstothecrime.wordpress.com. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this seri...

Why did Dorothy L. Sayers hate the first Peter Wimsey film so much? Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Floating Admiral by the Detection Club— Ask A Policeman by the Detection Club— Strong Poison by Dorothy...

Are Agatha Christie’s stories as chaste as they seem? Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence— A Question of Proof by Nicholas Blake— There’s Trouble Brewing by Nicholas Blake—...

What George Orwell can teach us about detective fiction. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books and essays mentioned in this episode:— "Decline of the English Murder" by George Orwell— Animal Farm by George Orwell— The Moonstone by Wilkie Coll...

The childhood nightmare that informed a crime writing career. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie— Giant's Bread by Mary Westmacott— Unfinished Portrait by Mary Westmacott— "Th...

Jim Noy joins Caroline for some Jolly Adventures in a castle. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 14:58. After that, expect full spoilers. Please note: This book contains the deliberate killing of an animal, which is discussed from 36:57 to 40:18. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next boo...

What could possibly go wrong? Books and stories mentioned in this episode: — "The Perfect Plan" by James Hilton — Lost Horizon by James Hilton — Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton — Murder at School by James Hilton To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

The fascinating history of divorce in detective fiction. My guest was Dr Jen Aston, Associate Professor in Law at Northumbria University. In addition to her other academic work, she's currently leading a project looking at approaches to the history of divorce. Learn more about that at northumbria.ac.uk/divorce_history. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit...

The best murder mysteries transport us to another era. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Conjure-Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher— Mystery in the Channel by Freeman Wills Croft— The Walls of Jericho by Rudolph Fi...

Victoria Stewart joins Caroline to discuss Dorothy L. Sayers’ epistolary poisoning mystery. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 14:59. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this series will be The Sandfield Scandal by Richard Keverne. Su...

Was this Agatha Christie's greatest piece of misdirection? Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in order: — Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie— Cards on the Table by Agatha C...

We’ve got puffins, peacocks and penguins galore! A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this series will be The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and...

Make sure nobody has tampered with your turkey… Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées by Agatha Christie— Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Chris...

Film historian Sergio Angelini joins Caroline to discuss a rather cinematic whodunnit. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 20:40. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this series will be The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers an...